Prophecies, conspiracies, and endtimes stuff: Fw: We have a responsibility to honor their valor

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Fw: We have a responsibility to honor their valor

Hi Marshall, this is Joe Mantegna.

You might know me from movies or TV as Joey Zasa in The Godfather, the voice of Fat Tony in The Simpsons, or Special Agent David Rossi in the CBS series Criminal Minds.

But what you may not know about me is that off-screen, I try to spend time raising awareness and appreciation for those who risked their lives so that we can live in freedom.

You see, out of the millions of brave men and women who

served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, only about 6% are still with us today.

Most of the World War II veterans still alive are nearing or past 100 years old… most of our Korean War veterans are in their 90s… and most of our Vietnam veterans are in their 70s and 80s.

Sadly, with hundreds of these heroes passing away every day, time is short to preserve their first-hand lessons and experiences from which future generations can learn.

That's why today, I'm asking fellow patriotic Americans like yourself to help my friends at the American Veterans Center with a special, time-sensitive project – to record the personal stories of our heroic veterans from our World War II generation before it's too late.

You and I understand that freedom is not free and that its price is the blood and sacrifice of generations willing to stand and serve.

I learned those lessons from my Uncle Willie who served in General Patton's Third Army in World War II – he even earned a Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained in the Battle of the Bulge.

But what I didn't realize until later in life is that the war stories he told me weren't just about him…

They were about honoring and remembering his brothers in arms who never made it back home… the ones who never got a chance to re-start their lives like he did.

I knew then that whatever I chose to do in life was because of their valor – and I knew that I had a responsibility to honor that valor.

So, almost fifteen years ago when I met Jim Roberts – President of the American Veterans Center – I was immediately glad to offer any help I could to help honor our veterans and military heroes.

You see, the American Veterans Center (or AVC) understands better than most what it means to truly honor veterans, like my Uncle Willie, and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

That's why they send camera crews around the country to visit our aging veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, professionally filming their personal memories of service and sacrifice, and capturing their invaluable contribution to American history.

After they finish recording one of these "Oral Histories", they post it on their YouTube page for millions of Americans to watch. Each is also donated to the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project for preservation and use by future researchers, and are made available on request to museums and documentary films.

If you've ever watched one of AVC's Oral Histories, you'll know that they are extensive, high-quality interviews where our veterans have as much time as they need to tell every detail of their remarkable service.

And as a T.V. and film producer myself, I can tell you firsthand that these Oral Histories are simply breath-taking.

With the pandemic waning, the AVC is working to double-down on its effort to capture the remaining stories of our World War II heroes. Right now, the AVC has identified more than 200 stories to film as soon as possible, which include:

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team – Veterans of the legendary all-Japanese American unit that would become the most decorated unit in American military history for its size and length of service, being awarded eight Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, and more than 4,000 Purple Hearts.
The Ritchie Boys – A special unit comprised largely of Jewish immigrants and refugees from Germany and Austria, trained in counterintelligence and deployed back to Europe with the United States Army to help defeat Hitler.
Royce Williams – The top scoring carrier-based naval aviator and top scoring naval aviator in a Navy jet in the Korean War and the only fighter pilot to shoot down four Soviet MIG-15s in one fight.
Rosie the Riveters – The American women on the home front who worked to build the planes, tanks, and ships for our boys fighting off on the front lines.

These are just a few of the amazing stories they have lined up to record before it's too late.

But there is one challenge…

In order to properly capture an Oral History – from identifying videographers to travel to equipment - it costs the American Veterans Center around $2,000.

As a non-profit organization, the AVC relies almost entirely on generous Americans like you to preserve and honor the sacrifices of America's greatest heroes.

So, will you help my friends at the AVC record the Oral Histories of as many living WWII veterans as possible with a generous, tax-deductible contribution of $15, $35, $50 or more today?

Right now, there are about 250 World War II veterans whose stories the AVC has identified to record.

So, in order to professionally capture the Oral Histories of all 250 of the heroic veterans on their waiting list, it's going to cost the AVC around $500,000.

These memories and their history is priceless, and the time to capture them is urgent.

That's why I'm asking you to join me in supporting the AVC Oral History Project with a tax-deductible gift of $15, $35, $50 or more today.

If you can give more – such as $75, $100, or even $500 – that would certainly be most welcome.

But please know that any amount you can afford to give today will make a real difference in helping the AVC preserve the legacies of our military veterans.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

And thank you in advance for your help in this time-sensitive mission.

Warmest regards,

Joe Mantegna

Actor, Director, Producer, Writer

SUPPORT THE AVC

The mission of the American Veterans Center and the World War II Veterans Committee is to preserve and promote the legacy and experiences of America's veterans and active duty service personnel from World War II through today.

A non-profit educational organization, the AVC and WWIIVC are funded solely through generous contributions from people like you. All contributions are tax-deductible.